Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the most hotly anticipated match of 2015-16 with a plethora of storylines to follow.

Will it be Cristiano Ronaldo's final match against Barcelona in Spain's capital? Will Lionel Messi play? Which team's injured players will return? Will Madrid continue its "ugly" style of play? Will Barcelona's defense continue its ascension or be exposed? Will Keylor Navas be there to save Madrid? How will security hold up?

It will surely be a match of many questions, but one that will surely engage fans for the 90 minutes of duration. But there is one question that will surely be on everyone's minds more than any other: Which team will win?

Madrid is home and has just one loss to date. Its defense is the least porous in the league, and its offense the highest scoring. Yet, fans are uncomfortable with the style of play, often calling the team boring to watch.

The atmosphere in the locker room seems to be no better. Ronaldo looks out of sync with the club, often found walking about the pitch disinterested. Whenever he has gotten the ball, he has promptly lost it. Many claim that his form has declined. Others argue that he is not fitting into the system of coach Rafa Benítez.

Others seem upset with Benítez as well, including James Rodríguez, Karim Benzema and even Sergio Ramos. If ever there was a match that Benítez needed a positive result from, it would be this one.

If Madrid wins, the team would suddenly be tied for first place with Barcelona, and would hold any tiebreaker. If they lose, the tactics, player relationships and the coach's ability to guide the richest club in the world to glory would all be questioned. Not to mention the team would face a six point gap from first place and Barcelona.

Things look better for Blaugrana, with Luis Suárez and Neymar picking up slack for the injured Messi. The Argentine looks ready to come back for the game, but many wonder about his condition. He can alter this game completely, but then again, he might wind up being a distraction from what has become a well oiled machine in his absence.

Few will forget that Messi was actually in poor form prior to the injury, and Barcelona was far from efficient in front of goal. Without Messi, Suárez and Neymar have found their way offensively. Still, it is impossible to overlook what happened a year ago, when Suárez made his Barcelona debut against Real Madrid. The team lost its first game of the year, and looked lost offensively and largely ineffective.

Barcelona's defense has tightened up in recent weeks, but it has hardly been tested. Real Madrid will present a far greater challenge for the defensive core.

Prediction: Madrid ekes out a 3-2 win.

The game will be viewable on beIN Sports starting at 12:15 p.m. ET.